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Message no. 1
From: scotthiller2002@*****.com (Scott Hiller)
Subject: Manaball Spell
Date: Sun, 23 Oct 2005 11:20:40 -0700 (PDT)
OK. How would you discribe it when a character fires
off one of these babies? Is there anything visual to
describe?

-Scott
Message no. 2
From: gurth@******.nl (Gurth)
Subject: Manaball Spell
Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2005 11:01:06 +0200
According to Scott Hiller, on 23-10-05 20:20 the word on the street was...

> OK. How would you discribe it when a character fires
> off one of these babies? Is there anything visual to
> describe?

First have any characters witnessing the event make Perception tests to
spot the magic, if they're not aware of magic being used yet (you can
skip this in the middle of combat, IMHO, except if the PCs haven't
figured out there's a magician yet). If all of them fail, you obviously
don't say anything except "Roll Willpower" to the victim ;)

If they succeed, you can do this all sorts of ways. Glittering lights,
an eerie glow around the caster and/or target, beams of light shooting
from one to the other, and so on would all be good descriptions, if you
ask me. If the caster is a shaman, you can also mention the shamanic
mask. The best inspiration is, IMHO, the covers and color plates in some
of the rule- and sourcebooks; the mage on the back of the bike on the
front cover of the DMZ box is one example I can think of right now.

--
Gurth@******.nl - Stone Age: http://www.xs4all.nl/~gurth/index.html
I'll let you be in my dream if I can be in yours
-> Possibly NAGEE Editor & ShadowRN GridSec * Triangle Virtuoso <-
-> The Plastic Warriors Site: http://plastic.dumpshock.com <-

GC3.12: GAT/! d- s:- !a>? C++(---) UB+ P(+) L++ E W++(--) N o? K w-- O
M+ PS+ PE@ Y PGP- t- 5++ X(+) R+++$ tv+(++) b++@ DI- D G+ e h! !r y?
Incubated into the First Church of the Sqooshy Ball, 21-05-1998
Message no. 3
From: weberm@*******.net (Michael Weber)
Subject: Manaball Spell
Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2005 07:10:05 -0400
Gurth <gurth@******.nl> wrote:
>According to Scott Hiller, on 23-10-05 20:20 the word on the street was...

>> OK. How would you discribe it when a character fires
>> off one of these babies? Is there anything visual to
>> describe?
>
>First have any characters witnessing the event make Perception tests to
>spot the magic, if they're not aware of magic being used yet (you can
>skip this in the middle of combat, IMHO, except if the PCs haven't
>figured out there's a magician yet). If all of them fail, you obviously
>don't say anything except "Roll Willpower" to the victim ;)
>
>If they succeed, you can do this all sorts of ways. Glittering lights,
>an eerie glow around the caster and/or target, beams of light shooting
>from one to the other, and so on would all be good descriptions, if you
>ask me. If the caster is a shaman, you can also mention the shamanic
>mask. The best inspiration is, IMHO, the covers and color plates in some
>of the rule- and sourcebooks; the mage on the back of the bike on the
>front cover of the DMZ box is one example I can think of right now.

I always have them make that perception test in my game to notice the Astral
shadow of the spell or the Shamanic mask or the mage's gesturing/furrowed
brow/incantations/taking drain damage, as per the standard rules.

Further Reading

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Thwap!